GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A four-story, 58,247-square-foot building addition at a cost of $64.6 million.

An “immersive reality lab” with 360-degree video displays, allowing for group virtual reality experiences.

A main floor cafe, inviting the community in to learn more about Grand Valley State University’s downtown technology hub.

And a $139 million bond to pay for it all.

On Friday, Feb. 6, the GVSU Board of Trustees approved two project plans totaling $166 million to build a new Blue Dot technology hub in downtown Grand Rapids.

To cover the cost, the university is financing a bond of up to $139 million. The decision was applauded by GVSU leaders and decried by some faculty members who attended the meeting.

The bond will cover the $101.4 million renovation of the 10-story L.V. Eberhard Center in downtown Grand Rapids, along with a new, $64.6 million building addition that will become the Blue Dot Lab.

The new bond will bring GVSU close to its “high-water mark” for total bond debt, which was just over $260 million in 2020.

But university leaders said GVSU has rapidly paid off its debt in the past and will see existing costs related to repayment begin to decline in 2031.

The final maturity date of the bonds is set no later than Dec. 31, 2058.

GVSU has shown a recent interest in expanding its tech offerings, with new degrees created in February of last year in response to a 338% increase in West Michigan job postings referencing artificial intelligence since 2022.

Despite a period of higher-education financial uncertainty, GVSU President Philomena Mantella said in a university address earlier this fall that the school is uniquely positioned to weather an “interesting” higher education landscape, due to its size and funding model.

The university has also recently lobbied for more state funding, releasing an economic report in October of last year that pointed at $3 billion in annual economic impact across the state.

In addition to the bond, GVSU is set to receive $30 million from the state for the project, part of a $616 million supplemental funding bill passed by the Legislature in November 2023.

The project has received state planning authorization, but GVSU is still waiting on construction authorization and final funding approval from the Legislature for the Blue Dot Lab.

The funds are contingent on the state also signing off.

The $166 million total project has been split into two segments and approved separately, which GVSU leaders explained was to better position the university to receive state funding, though the projects will result in one large building.

A rendering provided by Grand Valley State University shows what the addition of the Blue Dot Lab to the L.V. Eberhard Center in downtown Grand Rapids could look like. Photo courtesy of Grand Valley State University.Grand Valley State University

$101.4 million to renovate the L.V. Eberhard Center

A renovation of the L.V. Eberhard Center, a 160,203-square-foot academic building at 301 West Fulton Street in downtown Grand Rapids, is the more expensive of the two project segments.

The restoration of the 10-story masonry building will cost $101,400,000, funded by a combination of the university-issued bonds and donor funds.

That will include $82.9 million for construction services and site utilities, along with $3.8 million budgeted for furniture and telecommunications equipment, $8.9 million for professional services and fees and $5.8 million in contingency.

After the Feb. 6 approval, the goal is to begin construction this May and complete it in August 2028.

The architect selected to oversee both project segments is Fishbeck, and the construction manager is Pioneer Construction.

Steven Romkema, Fishbeck design director, said among the challenges of the project is reworking the building, completed in 1988, that was “designed for a different era of academics.”

The 10-story masonry building contains 30 classrooms, five labs and 55 faculty and staff offices, and is home to the WGVU Public Media stations. It also serves as a major conference, meeting and event venue, with a 5,200-square-foot event facility and a teleconference auditorium.

The renovation will feature a new east-facing glass curtain wall, part of significant renovations that will also include:

• A new south entry for the entire complex to help facilitate entry for events, along with refurbished conference and event spaces
• An “immersive reality lab” with 360-degree video display for group-based virtual reality
• A virtual reality lab and an “X-studio” offering virtual reality technology in a “coworking environment”
• A cybersecurity lab
• A College of Computing research hub, along with department and faculty offices for the college of computing, which was a new college approved by GVSU in 2023
• “Multi-delivery classrooms,” described as technology-rich learning spaces with group collaboration displays and spaces for both in-person and remote participants
• A multi-media production studio for digital creation, equipped with technology for studies in animation, volumetric and motion capture
• An advanced graphics and modeling lab with computers for graphic creation and content production
• Modernized production, broadcasting and administrative areas for WGVU

Both projects will be designed and constructed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.

A rendering provided by Grand Valley State University shows what the south facade of the new Blue Dot Lab and renovated L.V. Eberhard Center in downtown Grand Rapids could look like. Photo courtesy of Grand Valley State University.Grand Valley State University

$64.6 million to construct new Blue Dot Lab

The second portion of the project is the addition of a four-story, 58,247-square-foot Blue Dot Lab adjoining the Eberhard Center.

Romkema said the addition will replace the northern portion of the existing Eberhard Center, with a north entry built near the Blue Bridge over the Grand River.

Karen Ingle, associate vice president for facilities planning, described the new addition as a “technology-rich innovation center” with spaces for education, applied research and university enterprises.

The goal is to expand the number of graduates with deep technical computing, data and AI knowledge, she said.

The project cost includes $54.6 million for construction services and site utilities, $3.5 million for furniture and telecommunications equipment, $3.8 million for professional services and fees, a $500,000 fee to the state Department of Technology, Management and Budget and $2.2 million in contingency.

If it receives necessary approvals, the construction timeline would mirror that of the Eberhard Center.

Ingle said the project has already seen some delays as a result of the state’s pace, with original plans to put the first project bid package out in December 2025.

“We will delay that until we receive capital funding,” she said. “The strategy is to get the project out to bid as soon as possible.”

When asked about the possibility that the project might require additional funds in the future, Ingle said there are contingency plans in place and the sizable funds set aside allow some flexibility, “so we hope that we don’t.”

The Blue Dot Lab will be home to the College of Computing, including the dean’s suite, the Academic Computing Institute, the Institute for Cybersecurity Education and Research, a student advising and student success center.

The proposed building will also include:

• an admissions and welcome center with an atrium entry and large interactive display, featuring information about the university
• seven classrooms
• four research labs
• One data communications teaching lab
• A student incubator suite
• A multi-purpose meeting and event space
• A main floor cafe and collaboration space.

Additionally, the building’s fourth floor – now containing the “guts” that keep the building operational, can be set up to allow for vertical expansion.